Quintana Roo Civil Protection trains 300 responders ahead of hurricane season peak

The State Coordination of Civil Protection (COEPROC) wrapped up in Chetumal this week the training of 300 members of the State System, including representatives from municipal subcommittees, aiming to face the peak of hurricane season in the Mexican Caribbean better prepared. The agency's director general, Guillermo Núñez Leal, led the closing session at the Chetumal International Business and Convention Center.

Modules combined three days of online instruction on psychosocial support during contingencies, human rights in emergencies and gender equity, with on-site sessions on the Permanent Hydrometeorological Plan, the Incident Command System and the Early Warning System for Tropical Cyclones, known as SIAT-CT.

Why Cancún residents should know the SIAT-CT

SIAT-CT is the official traffic-light system federal and state authorities activate whenever a cyclone approaches the country. Its colors mark the distance and severity of the system and are the ones that dictate when ports close, shelters open and people are asked to stay indoors.

• Blue: notice, cyclone more than 72 hours away.
• Green: prevention, between 72 and 60 hours.
• Yellow: preparation, between 60 and 36 hours.
• Orange: alarm, between 36 and 18 hours.
• Red: impact, less than 18 hours away or the system already present.

In coastal municipalities in the north of the state — Benito Juárez, Isla Mujeres, Puerto Morelos and Solidaridad — each color change triggers different protocols: inspection of billboards, removal of small boats, opening of shelters in schools and community centers, and suspension of classes or tourist activities.

What a family can do right now

Check the roof and rain gutters, prune trees close to the house, update emergency contacts and locate the nearest hurricane shelter — these are steps recommended before the light turns yellow. The official shelter list is updated each season by the northern municipalities and is usually published before the formal peak of cyclone activity in August.